It was the pleasant voice of a woman who left a message on Tuesday. She opened by saying there was no need to call her back. As is often the case when somebody starts a message that way, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy; she never once gave her name or phone number.

She wanted to know if the paper would be doing a "retraction" on an earlier opinion piece that said the Home Depot project was essentially a "done deal" that would eventually be approved. She went on to say that she lived near the site and opposed the project.

Critics of the proposal are happy, of course, that the city is now requiring a complete environmental impact report (EIR). That means the project will be subjected to a thorough examination. Opponents consider the call for an EIR a victory. Maybe they're right.

It does not mean, however, that the project is doomed.

Nothing in life is certain, of course, so there is hope for those who are against the Home Depot proposal.

The project in T.O. still has a better chance of moving forward than similar proposals in the cities of Westlake Village and Agoura Hills. Those projects faced bigger hurdles.

In Westlake Village, the Lowe's store was just part of a much larger project. Anti-development voters in Agoura Hills have long dominated that city. When the Agoura Hills City Council uncharacteristically decided it was time for a change, residents signed petitions that eventually closed the door on big box stores. It was a significant victory for smaller retailers and the not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) crowd.

Those same constituencies hope the Home Depot proposal will crash and burn in Thousand Oaks. Many of them probably would prefer to see the old Kmart building stay vacant forever.

If somebody has a better idea, they should open their wallet, buy the site and present an alternative plan. Please don't expect the taxpayers of Thousand Oaks to bankroll purchase of the property and then build a park.

That's a naive solution. Some people--not the woman who called--apparently think cities have endless supplies of cash and that constructing parks is how municipalities make money.

The Home Depot proposal still has a better than 50-50 chance. But that doesn't mean we're endorsing it.